This section introduces aspects that may be helpful in facilitating a better understanding of the inventions. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
In some known routing schemes, IP/MPLS networks use link-state protocols such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) to route Label Switched Paths. In some of these solutions, paths are selected based on a determined minimum hop count and in others of these solutions, paths are selected based on a determined minimum maximum link utilization.